The invention relates to holders for endotracheal tubes.
An endotracheal tube is generally inserted in the tracheal lumen of a patient, through the patient's mouth, to deliver air to the patient's lungs when the mouth, throat or trachea of the patient is obstructed.
It is important that the endotracheal tube be securely retained in the patient's mouth to prevent accidental removal of the tube from the tracheal lumen, which could result in asphyxiation. It is also important to minimize damage to the mucous membranes of the larynx and trachea caused by rubbing of the tube against the membrane. The tube must be retained in a manner that will secure it against shifts in the patient's position, movement of attached ventilating equipment and slippage. Moreover, the patient should be prevented from biting down on the tube and either cutting it or closing off the air supply through the tube.
Until relatively recently, endotracheal tubes were typically held in place by tape. Retaining the tube in this manner was difficult to accomplish and unreliable, as the tape would not always adhere to the patient's skin and required a relatively high degree of skill to apply quickly and securely. This method also made it impractical to adjust the orientation of the tube in the tracheal lumen after the initial insertion, and removal of the tape from the patient's skin and facial hair was often traumatic.
To remedy this situation, various types of endotracheal tube holders have been developed. These holders are thought to allow the tube to be more quickly and easily inserted and positioned, and may include means for preventing the patient from biting the tube. However, typically these holders do not allow the patient's mouth to be easily accessed by medical staff, e.g., for the administration of medicaments or cleansing and swabbing. Also, many such devices require two-handed operation and are not readily adjustable.